Tuesday 23rd May 2017 - Belstone

A very foggy morning at home and it was pleasing to see there was no fog at the start of the walk from Belstone Green. Up through Belstone and on...

 ...to Watchet Hill and we were back into the fog.

Up to Belstone Tor.

A logan stone that just had to be rocked. Over Higher Tor and Winter Tor before going down to ...

...Gulliver Steps.

We took the track up to East Bowden.

Past the buttercups on the way to Lower Halstock.

Past the bluebells on the edge of the woods - a route hardly any of us had walked before.

 

Down to the footbridge on the East Okement River. Up the other side of the valley and back to Belstone for a fine lunch in The Tors.

With Stella, Mike, Jon, Terry, Charlie, Tom and Jane.

Tuesday 9th May - Bluebells in Burrator Wood

The annual bluebell walk from Meavy. Down over the stepping stones past Yeo Farm and up into the woods for usual outstanding display. On through the fields past the lambs and on to Sheepstor. Into the church then up to the top of Sheeps Tor. Terry took most to the Pixies House. Then to the top of Sheeps Tor for the coffee break. Down to follow the path around the edge of the reservoir, over the dam and down again to the leat. Back to the Royal Oak for lunch. With Jane, Dianne, Darren, Sue, Keith, Terry, Charlie, Tom, David and Simon.

Through the woods.

The church at Sheepstor

On the way up to Sheeps Tor.

Tuesday 2nd May - Hadrian’s Wall Day 6 - Heddon to Newcastle

 

Due to a muscular injury I wasn't able to do the final section of the walk. Obviously it was disappointing not to complete the final part but I was very please to have walked 75 miles over 5 days. Charles and I caught the bus to Newcastle. Surprisingly, we saw more of the wall than we would have done had we walked.

Quite a long time since I had been to Newcastle and there are many different bridges going across the River Tyne

The view downstream from the Millennium Bridge.

This is the Millennium Bridge raised up to allow ships to go past

We met Tom for lunch on his way through and then went to the contemporary art museum in the old Baltic Flour Mill...

... where the seagulls go to sleep high above the streets below

Then it was on the metro to get to the Segedunum museum to meet Tom as he finished the walk.

The Segedunum Museum

 

A coffee in the museum cafe and then the final journey on the metro to the airport. Fortunately all three rucksacks arrived safely with us at Exeter.

Monday 1st May - Hadrian's Wall Day 5 - Wall to Heddon on the Wall

 

For virtually all of this route the route follows the B3618. This is know as The Military Road. The Vallum, or ditch, runs alongside the road and clearly the majority of the wall for this section of the walk is where the road currently is. This is the Military Road built by General Wade in 1746 to move troops quickly from Newcastle to Dumfriesshire. Much of the material from the wall was used as hardcore in the construction of the road.  This was the least attractive part of the walk due to the constant noise from passing traffic. The weather conditions remained dry and cool and again perfect for walking. Unfortunately Charles had injured his knee and was not able to do this part of the walk.

The Hadrian Hotel

Through a country lane to rejoin the path.


The course has been cut back to expose the Vallum

The path runs adjacent to the Vallum and Military Road

Fields and fields of rapeseed at this time of the year but it made for some bright colour on an otherwise fairly dull day

Tom

Eventually we arrived at our B&B at Heddon-on-the-Wall
Miles walked 14.2
Fitbit steps 33844

CLICK HERE FOR DAY 6

Sunday 30th April - Hadrian's Wall Day 4 Twice Brewed to Wall

We left the Twice Brewed Inn - which will soon have a micro brewery and took the short walk back to the wall.  For me this was the most attractive section. Lots of uphill stretches but not as severe as yesterday.

Re-joining the path at this point with a short sharp climb up to the top of the crag.

Along the ridge of Peel Crags

Very steeply down to the sycamore tree made famous in the Robin Hood film featuring Kevin Costner

Along the ridge of Highshield Crags with Crag Lough below.

Iconic views of Hadrian's Wall at this point

To the remains of the Roman fort at Housteads where we took a coffee break.

Gently up to Kennel Crags and Sewingshields Crags and to the end of the best part of the

From here it was gently down to The Military Road and the remains of this small Roman Church at Brocolitia Roman Fort

Past Limestone Corner

On to Wallwick to  Chesters Roman Fort through Chollerford to our hotel in Wall

Miles walked 14.7
Fitbit steps 36087

CLICK HERE FOR DAY 5